Dorothy
Girl name · #421 in 2025 · Uniqueness 44/100
Dorothy ranks #421 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 743 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #714, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 2,423 girls born in 2025 was named Dorothy.
Babies named Dorothy per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Dorothy first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 112 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1924, when 39,996 girls were named Dorothy — good for #2 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Dorothy against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Dorothy in class?
Dorothy scores 44 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Dorothy is most common
Geography matters for names, and Dorothy is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Dorothys were TX (52), CA (44), NY (38), PA (36), NC (32). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Dorothy
Statistically, parents drawn to Dorothy tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Frances, Virginia, Louise, Ramona, and Helen.
FrancesVirginiaLouiseRamonaHelenLorettaMarieSylvia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Dorothy | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 743 | #421 |
| 2024 | 718 | #429 |
| 2023 | 664 | #463 |
| 2022 | 645 | #486 |
| 2021 | 649 | #483 |
| 2020 | 565 | #535 |
| 2019 | 546 | #561 |
| 2018 | 530 | #580 |
| 2017 | 507 | #590 |
| 2016 | 456 | #644 |
| 2015 | 398 | #714 |
| 2014 | 385 | #727 |
| 2013 | 335 | #806 |
| 2012 | 279 | #922 |
| 2011 | 279 | #927 |
| 2010 | 243 | #1027 |
| 2009 | 227 | #1116 |
| 2008 | 244 | #1070 |
| 2007 | 263 | #1003 |
| 2006 | 267 | #976 |
| 2005 | 237 | #1025 |
| 2004 | 290 | #848 |
| 2003 | 292 | #835 |
| 2002 | 264 | #867 |
| 2001 | 319 | #750 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Dorothy a popular girl name?
Dorothy ranked #421 among girls in 2025 with 743 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #714.
When was the name Dorothy most popular?
Dorothy peaked in 1924, when 39,996 American girls received the name (ranked #2 that year). Since 1924 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Dorothy?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 2,423 newborn American girls was named Dorothy. It scores 44/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.